John Edwin Quidor, (JEQ) is a bit of a mystery as there is much conflicting information about him in available records. There is no birth record, however, by extrapolating from the 1860 US Census, he was born in New York in 1820. His parentage is not documented. 

The Quidor family was from the Tappan, New York area.ⁱ The progenitors were Pierre Quidor and his wife, Marie Saindou (Sandoz). There were few families with this last name in the New York-New Jersey area and a family history accessed on www.ancestry.com lists a John born to John Quidor (1801, son of Peter, b. 1750) and Eliza Jane Harkins but offers no definite birth date; a range from 1818 to 1845 is given. The person submitting this family history seems to have tapped into the birth records of Tappan, NY. JEQ could have been the child of John (1801) and a previous wife, as Eliza was only ten years older than JE. 

John Edwin Quidor first appears in the 1860 US Census, living in Jersey City, NJ. His age is recorded as 40 years and his occupation is physician. It is recorded that he was born in New York, as were his father and mother. His wife’s name was Mary, and they had four girls, age 6 and younger at home. His name is spelled “Quider” but if you look at the original census page, the handwriting is ambiguous. The census takers generally had problems with the name “Quidor”. Over the years it is represented as Quidor, Quider, and Ouider, In an 1857 New York City Directory there is a John E. Quidor, physician, with an office at 218 Greenwich St. and a home at 426 Greenwich. Perhaps he moved to New Jersey for more opportunities, as in the 1859 Jersey City Directory he is listed at 139 Washington St. There is a second listing, J.E. Quidor, druggist at 59 Montgomery, Jersey City. This could be a separate person or it could be an apothecary shop owned by JEQ. It was a common practice at the time for a physician to also operate a dispensing pharmacy in the same neighborhood. 

There is no information regarding JEQ’s medical training, however, a John Quidor did receive a medical degree from Castleton Medical college, Castleton, VT in 1858. JEQ would have been 38 years of age. This could indicate the presence of a second younger John Edwin Quidor or JEQ’s attempt to get a recognized medical degree. Quidor was clearly established in Jersey City medical circles, because in April 1860,ⁱⁱⁱ the body of a young woman was found sunk with a barrel of pitch at the York Street dock in Jersey City and it was taken to Dr. Quidor for an autopsy. His full findings at the inquest are published in the April 18, 1860 New York Times. The report suggests that Dr. Quidor had experience with autopsies and his opinion was, “That she did not present the appearance of a drunkard or a woman of bad character and had been in the water 10-14 days.” 

The Civil War began on April 13, 1861 with the bombing and evacuation of Fort Sumter. New Jersey raised four militia regiments. John E. Quidor joined the Second New Jersey Militia, a three month regiment, and was commissioned 4/26/61. The 2nd New Jersey was known for its rough and tumble style and lots of “attitude”. Quidor must have kept busy as these men had a bad habit of firing their arms indiscriminately and wounding themselves and others. The regiment is profiled under “Regiments” on this website. 

While at Camp Princeton, Arlington Heights, Quidor probably took an qualifying examination as there are in his Medical Officer’s File, two pages of a test question regarding his treatment of cholera asiatica. It is odd that only two pages were saved. Much later in his career (1869) when he was a contract surgeon, there was a letter inserted which stated that he had associated with “irregular practitioners”, i.e. doctors practicing homeopathic or irregular forms of medicine. Wondering if Quidor’s response to the test question in 1861 might have made the examiners suspicious, it was submitted to two experts^iv who found it adequate by medical standards of the day.

No specific information is available on Quidor’s participation at Bull Run. Bilby and Goble^v state that only the 1st NJ Militia and segments (companies) of the 1st and 2nd Volunteers went into battle. It is known that John Craven, surgeon of the 1st NJ Militia tended to patients under fire.^vi Many regimental surgeons participated in the medical care of the wounded at Bull Run. When the retreat was ordered, ten surgeons volunteered to stay behind with their patients at Sudley Church. Edward Taylor, MD of the 2nd NJ Volunteers and 9 other Union surgeons were taken prisoner.^vii 

After Bull Run the 2nd NJ Militia returned home to New Jersey and were mustered out on July 21, 1861 at the expiration of their service. Shortly thereafter, John Edwin Quidor was commissioned as Surgeon in the US Volunteer Medical Staff (8/3/61). There is nothing in his file until September 3, 1861 when there is a notation of a letter from the Surgeon General’s office ordering JEQ to report to Major General David Hunter. Hunter was a controversial figure. He received a serious wound at Bull Run and upon recovery was sent to the newly created Department of the West under Major General Fremont. Just around this time, Fremont proclaimed that all slaves owned by Confederates in the state of Missouri were to be free. This created havoc in Washington and Lincoln was deeply disturbed by his action and removed him from command. Hunter denounced Fremont and ultimately replaced him. 

By July 1, 1862 a letter addresses Quidor as Brigade Surgeon and Medical Director at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and discusses supplies. It is noted in military records at this time that he treated soldiers wounded at the skirmish at Rocky Bluff, Platte County, Missouri (August 7, 1862). It was a common practice for surgeons in the field to report monthly by letter to the Surgeon General. In October, JEQ reports to Surgeon General Hammond that he was serving as Medical Director at Fort Scott, Kansas, per order of General Blunt. Apparently, the Surgeon General’s Office (SGO) was not receiving some of JEQ’s mail, as he wrote to them as Medical Director, Department of Kansas at Camp Rhea Mills, Arkansas on 12/12/1862 stating their problems with mail service and that his mail was being sent to Fort Leavenworth while he was with General Blunt in Arkansas. 

In early 1863, Quidor is ordered to Memphis and report to Surgeon CH Laub. On the same day, Joseph Brown, Surgeon USA writes to Laub who is Chief Surgeon at Memphis TN regarding the character of JEQ. “Asst Surg General directs you to assign Quidor to duty in some position where his service can be available but not in one of responsibility. Should he object to a subordinate capacity, the reason may be frankly told him”. In February, 1863 Quidor writes to Surgeon General William Hammond and explains his whereabouts in October-December ’62 and reports on the battles of Cane Hill and Prairie Grove. He stated that he was taken prisoner at Prairie Grove. Late in that month, he reports to Hammond that he reported to HR Wirtz, Surgeon USA, Med. Dir., as CH Laub was not there. Wirtz send him to inspect hospitals. He is put in charge of Gayaso Hospital in Memphis. In March he establishes a branch hospital at Marmiton (near Shiloh) and then goes off with a unit of nurses on various hospital boats running the Mississippi River. By April, he is Surgeon in charge at Millikensville Convalescent Hospital, Louisiana. He continues to report monthly to Hammond of his whereabouts and progress. 

In July there are two letters from grocers in Jersey City NJ attesting to the fact that they have been providing Mrs. Quidor with food for a year without any recompense from Dr. John Quidor. He had made these arrangements before leaving for the Army but never honored them. One grocer had received money from Mrs. Quidor’s brother and added that he thought Mrs. Quidor is totally destitute of means”.

In September, Quidor reports to Hammond that he was at Marine Hospital, superintending the repairs and also occupied with inspection of camps of Negro troops. At the end of October he reports to Hammond that he is medical Director of the District of North-East Louisiana per orders of Major General US Grant. There is a notation of a letter sent to Quidor, December 4, 1863 dismissing him from service of the US for “conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman” by LO No 5238, part 4, AGO, Washington DC. The dismissal was dated November 30, 1863. At this time Quidor is in Louisiana and one wonders how long it would take for an order of dismissal to reach him. On December 11th, he writes a letter to his commanding officer requesting 20 days leave to go to Jersey City, on “account of the recent decease of my wife, and the consequent unprotected state of my five little children”. This request is approved. Perhaps the dismissal order had not yet been received by his commanding officer. 

For three years, there are no records as to JEQ’s whereabouts or the disposition of his children. However, in 1866 (7/11/1866), he received a contract from the US Army as surgeon paying $100/month. He is assigned to Bedloes Island in NY harbor and then to Arkansas at De Vall’s Bluff, in charge of the Post Hospital and a detachment of the 19th Infantry. He reports in monthly to Joseph K. Barnes until April 12, 1869 when the post is discontinued. His commanding officer was asked if Quidor should be issued another contract and it was stated that “he was not a proper person”. His contract was not renewed.

In 1872, a US Treasury auditor wrote to C.C. Byrne, Surgeon US Army, asking for information about Quidor. Byrne responded that “Dr. Quidor, while stationed at Batesville, Ark. did not discharge his duties in a manner satisfactory to his commanding officer. Both in New York City and in Little Rock he was associated with irregular practitioners and his general character was not reputable.”

In 1874, JEQ must have still been trying to get back into the Army Medical service. In April of that year, The Secretary of War, M.M. Belnap responded to an inquiry from the Honorable Powell Clayton, US Senator from Arkansas, regarding the application of JEQ as an assistant surgeon. The senator was informed that further appointments “are prohibited by law until further legislation by Congress – act approved March 3, 1869.” Powell was Captain of the 1st Kansas infantry in 1861 and served the Union army in Arkansas and Missouri during the war. He could have been a personal friend of Quidor’s.

Although JEQ is said to have died in 1876, (Heitman, FB, 1903^viii and second hand information in his Medical Officer file), there appears in the 1880 Census in Pyeatt, Arkansas, a John A. Quidor, age 48, a physician who was born in New York. It is recorded that both his father and mother were born in NY. Although the evidence is circumstantial, subsequent data suggests that this could be JEQ. This J.E. Quidor was living with Nancy (Strickland), his wife, a much younger woman at age 32. They had a 9 month old son, John A. Quidor.^ix It is possible he falsified his age which would have been 60 years. There is a pension application filed on behalf of John E. Quidor, the minor child, October 30,1882 or 1883^x by his guardian, Anderson I. Marlar. Mr. Marler and Nancy Strickland were married 14 December, 1882 in Pulaski, Arkansas.^xi The deceased in the pension application is referred to as a “Contract surgeon, US Vols” by the name of John E. Quidor; his death date is given as October 14, 1880. There was no claim filed for the widow. Pension records are on request.

Correspondence in Quidor’s Medical Officer file goes on until 1886 when a third auditor for the Department of Treasury is told that Quidor’s “ last address was Little Rock, Arkansas and that he died eight years ago.” 
There is no 1890 Census and there is no record of the Quidor family in 1900, however, in 1910 the US Census shows John E. Quidor, age 30, a physician in Arkansas. His wife is Adah (Edith Peel or Pell)^xii and they have 4 children. He lists his father as being born in New York and his mother in North Carolina. His mother is Nancy R. Strickland and she is living with the family. Anderson Marler must have died or otherwise left the scene and Nancy reverted to her maiden name. 

The 1917 WW I Draft Registration lists John Edwin Quidor, living in Pulaski AR, born 24 August 1879. His home is at 1103 Arkansas Avenue, N. Little Rock. His wife is Edith. In 1920, this family is intact and living in N. Little Rock, Ark. Nancy Strickland is 78 years old. Adah is now using her given name, Edith. In 1930, John and Edith have moved to Vicksburg, MS and only their youngest child is living with them. John passed away January 5, 1933 at age 53 and Edith died February 17, 1933, at age 52 of chronic diseases. Their son John Henry Quidor made the arrangements and the bodies were moved to Bayo Meto Cemetery, Pulaski County, Arkansas where they were buried with their children who had died young.^xiii Clearly, additional research is needed to verify the story of John Edwin Quidor. His pension records have been requested from the National Archives.
 

 
[i] There are two known sons from this marriage, Peter (b. 1750) and George, b. ? Peter (1750) married Elsie Truman (b 5/2/1770) had eight known children. George married Sarah Marsh (year unknown) and had George Marsh Quidor (b. 1789) who married Margaret Cooper (2/21/1818) in the Dutch Reformed Church in Rockland NY. Either of these two men could have been JEQ’s grandfather. Further information is needed to identify JEQ’s father and mother.
[ii] Personal communication, Dr. Terry Hambrecht, 4/6/2008. [Waite, FC. 1949. The First medical College in Vermont. Vermont Historical Society, Montpelier, VT, p. 226.]
[iii] New York Times, April 18, 1860
[iv] Robert Slawson, MD and Guy Hasekawa, Pharm. D felt Quidor’s response was appropriate for the practice of medicine at the time and the prescription written was adequate.
[v] Bilby and Goble
[vi] www.civilwarsurgeonsmemorial.org
[vii] New York Times, August 14, 1861, “Important From Fort Monroe” 
[viii] Heitman FB. 1903. Historical register and dictionary of the United States Army from its organization, September 29, 1789 t9 March 2, 1903. GPO, Washington Dc. P. 811.
[ix] The “A” as a middle initial, falls by the wayside in the 1910 US Census, when he is listed as John E. Quidor.
[x] Illegible number
[xi] Record www.lds.org, Anderson I. Marler
[xii] Death certificate, State of Mississippi, dated 2/17/33.
[xiii] Find-A-Grave.com 

Submitted: V. M. Josephson rev. 6/30/2008